EU-DIGEST

Wilders, 46, faces criminal charges for inciting hatred. He has denounced Islam as antidemocratic and compared the Quran with Hitler's manifesto "Mein Kampf." He has proposed imposing a tax on clothing commonly worn by Muslims, such as headscarves, because they "pollute" the nation.

EU-Digest

Labels: Elections, EU, Geert Wilders, The Netherlands

Labels: Almere, Elections, EU, Geert Wilders, The Netherlands

Front-runner in Ukraine's presidential election Viktor Yanukovych vowed to bring the country out of the economic crisis in case he becomes the president.

"My first steps will be aimed at overcoming the crisis," he said in an interview with Ukraine's ICTV television channel. He said that that in order to achieve the task he would need a team of professionals both in the Cabinet and in the parliament, adding that he also plans to work out a strategy for the country's development up to 2020.

Yanukovych won the first round of Ukraine's presidential vote on January 17 and will face off against runner-up Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in the second round on February 7. The gap between the two contenders is just above 10%.

Labels: Elections, Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych

Labels: Elections, Republican Party, US

Labels: Elections, Ukraine

Labels: Croatia, Elections, EU

Lisbon treaty - let the people vote for a President

For the complete report from the EUobserver click on this link

Eastern Europe is chipping away at the secretive nomination process for new EU posts created under the Lisbon Treaty, with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves formally throwing his name into the ring on Thursday (12 November). The president, whose name was put forward by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, joins a select few daring to be named as official candidates, as fears of failure and obligations to current jobs keep the process shrouded in secrecy.

Former Lavian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga, also a declared candidate for the European Council presidency job, said on Thursday that the process was being conducted with Soviet-style secrecy and contempt for the public. The Baltic state's former leader attacked the EU for operating in "darkness and behind closed doors" and said it should "stop working like the former Soviet Union."

Note EU-Digest: Mrs. Vaira Vike-Freiberga is absolutely right. The EU Presidential election process resembles that of the former Soviet Union and the Vatican. If we want more democratic involvement and participation by the citizens of the EU this should be an open transparent process.

Labels: Elections, EU, EU Presidency

Turkey chastises the West on Iran

Turkey's prime minister has accused the West of treating Iran unfairly over its nuclear program. Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Britain's Guardian newspaper Western fears Iran wanted to build the bomb were "gossip". Mr Erdogan is due in Tehran for talks with both President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's Supreme Leader. The Turkish leader suggested that there was a dual standard in the West's approach towards Iran. He said any military strike against Iran would be "crazy".

Note EU-Digest: let us hope that Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan also questions the brutal police suppression of the opposition forces during the recent Presidential elections in Iran when he visits that country.

Labels: Elections, Iran, Nuclear weapons, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey

In Russia, Putin’s democracy looking more like a facade - by Fred Weir

Former leader Mikhail Gorbachev and others are outraged after last week's elections. A public opinion survey published this week by the daily Noviye Izvestia newspaper found that just 3 percent of respondents believe the elections were a fair and true democratic exercise. A third thought that UR’s victory was due to “massive falsifications” while a further 44 percent said the party benefited unduly from its command of “administrative resources,” meaning official influence, state media backing, and access to government funds.

Yabloko has documented multiple cases of what is says is official fraud, coercion, and other legal violations in the election campaign and subsequent voting, some of which has been translated and posted on the party’s English-language website http://www.eng.yabloko.ru/. But Mitrokhin’s outrage over what looks like the most seriously miscarried electoral exercise in Russia’s post-Soviet history has been increasingly echoed by independent commentators, including the father of Russia’s troubled democracy, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

Labels: Democracy, Elections, Russia

Greece Government Sworn in - by Neil Magdalini

Greece’s new government was sworn in Oct. 7 after the ruling conservative government was defeated by the Socialists in the elections held on Oct. 4. Greek voters took a drastic turn at the recent elections by massively voting in favor of center-left party Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), breaking with the center-right New Democracy (ND) Party which had been in power since 2004.

Labels: Elections, EU, Greece

Germany moves right; big economic shift unlikely

Angela Merkel won a mandate to govern Europe's biggest economy with a new, pro-business coalition partner — but burdensome government debt from the financial crisis may put limits on proposals to cut taxes. Voters ended the conservative Merkel's unwieldy right-left "grand coalition" in Sunday's election and gave her a comfortable center-right majority — thanks to a strong performance by the business-oriented Free Democrats.Merkel now has a partner that fought for hefty income tax cuts in a bid to spur economic growth and would like to loosen laws protecting workers from dismissal. The Free Democrats also share her opposition to a national minimum wage and her desire to extend the life of some of Germany's nuclear power plants. The change was well received by German business.n the campaign, Merkel advocated only modest middle-income tax relief, a proposal well short of the overhaul the Free Democrats want — with big cuts to both top and bottom income tax rates. Germans' skepticism toward capitalism has grown over recent years, and "this makes a general shift in economic policy quite unlikely.

Labels: Elections, EU, Germany

Welcome to the New Germany - by Claus Christian Malzahn

Chancellor Angela Merkel has probably saved her chancellorship -- but the price that her conservatives will have to pay for it is high. The election result for the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), is lower than in 2005. Nevertheless, she can form a coalition government with the business-friendly Free Democratic Party because support for the FDP has increased in a way that until recently pollsters would scarcely have thought possible. However, the interior architecture of the new Merkel-led alliance will be fundamentally different from "black-yellow" coalitions -- the name is inspired by the parties' official colors -- of the past. In the governments of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, it was always clear who was calling the shots, because the Christian Democrats had four or five times as many seats as their liberal junior partner. That has now changed -- perhaps forever.

In the new constellation, Merkel will hardly be able to keep the promise that she made shortly before the election, namely that in a CDU/CSU-FDP coalition she would soften any demands by the pro-free market FDP that were too radical. Given the fat majority that the Christian Democrats and the FDP have in Germany's upper legislative chamber, the Bundesrat, it looks like Merkel will be able to have a smooth ride in terms of governing -- but whether the weakened Christian Democrats will be able to set the course seems doubtful. FDP leader Guido Westerwelle will be taking the initiative in the future government. The big question is whether he can do something with the support that the voters have given him.

Labels: Angela Merkel, Elections, EU, Germany

President Karzai claims victory as EU demands inquiry into vote fraud - by Jerome Starkey

The first full count of votes in Afghanistan’s increasingly bitter election gave President Karzai the outright majority required to secure him another term as fresh allegations were made that the poll was widely rigged. Only “a miracle” could now stop Mr Karzai from winning, Waheed Omar, a presidential spokesman, said after the Independent Election Commission revealed the preliminary results with 100 per cent of the ballots counted yesterday. This made it almost impossible that any investigation would change the outcome, he added.

The Government also accused European Union officials of unwarranted interference after they claimed that a third of Mr Karzai’s vote may be fraudulent.

Labels: Afghanistan, Elections, EU

Norway Keeps Leftists in Power - by Walter Gibbs

Norwegian voters have returned their Labor-dominated government to office, narrowly endorsing Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s pursuit of expanded public services and rejecting angry demands by some of his opponents to crack down harshly on immigration. The biggest party on the conservative side remained Progress, led by the country’s most strident politician, Siv Jensen. Her outspoken opposition to immigration and foreign development aid — which she called “aid for corrupt dictators in Africa” — was coupled with a populist call to slash taxes and spend more of Norway’s oil revenue on government operations. That helped her party win about 23 percent of the vote, giving it 41 seats. But opinion polls as recently as a week ago had suggested an even stronger showing. Harald Stanghelle, the political editor of the newspaper Aftenposten, said the apparent drop in support for the party had to do with maintaining the balance of power.

“Many voters want Progress to be there as a protest party, but they don’t want to see them in office,” Mr. Stanghelle said.

Labels: Elections, Norway

Priorities Are Clear as Mud in Germany - by John Vinocur

Germany’s year of recession and its current election campaign, which could have been a windfall period for refashioning its international perspectives, have instead left a jumbled, even discomforting picture of the country’s priorities as a potential leader in Europe and a significant voice in the world. Once, those priorities were unwavering: unselfish engagement in the European Union to the point where it was synonymous with German identity and self-interest, and a commitment to a relationship with the United States that provided the notion of a trans-Atlantic security community with substance and reliability.

But Germany’s intra-European solidarity is no longer a reflex or a self-imposed duty. An Atlantic partnership with the United States, which Mrs. Merkel was supposed to revive to the status of an affair of the heart? It has returned neither to enthusiasm or full confidence — in part because of Germany’s increasingly ambiguous relations with Russia, and regardless of Germans’ appreciation of President Barack Obama in public opinion polls.

Labels: Atlantic Partnership, Elections, EU, Germany

EUROPEAN PIRATE PARTY MOVEMENT- Swedish Pirate Party MEP Christian Engström: ‘Europe stronger than US’ - by Waldemar Ingdahl

"The Swedish pirate party program claims three things: to strive to reform laws regarding copyright and patents, strengthening the right to internet and daily privacy and increasing the transparency of government administration. The pirate party gained one seat in the 736-strong European parliament after winning 7.1% of the Swedish vote in June 2009, coming fifth after the social democrats, greens, liberals and the moderate party. It would acquire another if the Lisbon treaty is ratified; the EU aims to see that in force by 2010. 26 EU countries have ratified the treaty, except for Ireland, who are due to hold a referendum due on 2 October. On 25 June, Christian Engström joined the green bloc, a move to avoid being marginalized in the EP. But the pirate party, now the third largest party in Sweden, is a representative of a set of ideas of its own; is it setting sail towards further success or facing its first gust of ideological high seas?"

Engström was an open source software developer and entrepreneur in the first wave of Swedish internet expansion in the nineties. He was a volunteer activist for the foundation for a free information infrastructure (FFII). Between 2004 and 2005 he lobbied in the European parliament in a dispute over the software patents directive. The struggle was a great success for Engström as the parliament rejected the directive in its second reading. The success of the free software movement, in combination with a continuing increase in the conflict between internet pirates and the record industry, gave the impulse for a new set of ideas. The ground was particularly favorable in Sweden.

According to the Pirate Party, intellectual property laws written pre-internet are just out of date. Today the entire Internet is based on copying stuff. Each time you load a web page, your computer is, in fact, copying a set of files from another computer. You could argue that digital copying is so seamless that nearly everyone could become a "pirate" by virtue of the technology. At least, that's what pirate parties across Europe are saying – and they’re in many countries. You can find them in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine, Russia, Austria and Switzerland. There's also the Czech Pirate Party and the Estonian Pirate Party. Both were founded last month. And now there’s one in Switzerland. The pirate parties are calling for shorter copyright terms, the elimination of patents and broader online privacy rights. So far, the European Pirate Parties don’t have much political power, but last month, a German member of Parliament left the Social Democrats and joined the Pirate Party. And the Swedish Pirate Party did well enough in the recent European Union parliamentary elections to secure one of the country’s seats.

Please click on this link if you are interested to start a Pirate Party in your own country.

Labels: Elections, EU, Germany, Pirate Party, Politics, Sweden

Gordon Brown ‘ready for live TV debate with David Cameron’ - by Anne McElvoy

A presidential-style TV debate between Gordon Brown and David Cameron could be staged at the general election, Lord Mandelson has told the Standard. In an exclusive interview, the Prime Minister's most powerful ally suggested that Mr Brown would become the first incumbent of No10 to agree to the idea. "I don't think Gordon would have a problem with that," he said. "While Cameron is good with words, he doesn't have the ideas or policies to back them. I think people would see through the smile.

A TV debate would expose the Tory leader's weaknesses, he argued. “Cameron lacks substance and he might come across as someone who exudes effortless superiority in public, but loses his rag in private.”

Labels: Britain, Elections, EU, Gordon Brown

Pro-Europe parties win Moldova election

(AP)A leading exit poll predicted that pro-Europe parties will win enough combined votes to defeat Moldova's ruling Communist Party in national elections Wednesday — raising the likelihood that the impoverished ex-Soviet republic will move closer to the West. The poll by the Institute for Public Politics projected that four center-right opposition parties won 54.9 percent of the vote in parliamentary balloting widely seen as a referendum on whether to linger in Russia's loose orbit or edge toward the European Union. It said President Vladimir Voronin's Communists — who have held power since 2001 — were trailing with 40.5 percent.

Labels: Elections, EU

Iran reformists seek referendum

"Since millions of Iranians have lost confidence in the electoral process, the Association of Combatant Clerics insist on the organization of a referendum by an independent body," it said in a statement. The association did not specify what question should be put to voters and under the Iranian constitution only the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who presently supports the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can organize a referendum. The clerical body also said it supported powerful cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who earlier had made a hard hitting address on Friday criticizing last month's election and the subsequent crackdown on the opposition by the government.

Labels: Elections, Iran, referendum

Iran protests continue: Clashes erupt in streets of Tehran - by Ramin Mostaghim and Borzou Daragahi

Violent clashes erupted yesterday (Thursday) in downtown Tehran between thousands of defiant protesters chanting "Death to the dictator" and security forces wielding truncheons, as the political crisis over Iran's disputed presidential election stretched into its fourth week. Contingents of uniformed and plainclothes security forces flooded the city's central squares and managed with batons and tear gas to eventually disperse the demonstrators, many of whom wore black and held up their fingers in V-for-victory salutes.

Though the number of protesters was nowhere close to the hundreds of thousands who took to the streets soon after the election, organizers showed that they could quickly assemble a crowd despite the efforts of security forces. Thursday was also the anniversary of a student uprising that was violently crushed by the government 10 years ago -- a perennial occasion for confrontations between demonstrators and police. "It is going to continue," vowed a marcher in his 60s, big drops of sweat on his forehead. "They have killed our dear youth. How can we forgive them?"

Labels: Elections, Iran

Socialist Coalition Loses in Bulgaria Election - - by Mathew Brunwasser

With nearly two-thirds of the vote counted on Sunday night, Mr. Borisov’s party, the Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria, had 42 percent of the vote, while the Socialist-led coalition had 18 percent, less than had been anticipated. Mr. Borisov will probably be the next prime minister, if negotiations to form a coalition government are successful. Mr. Borisov’s party has become the leading political force in the country, campaigning on promises of change and bringing accountability to government. The incumbents were punished by an electorate fed up over what many viewed as endemic abuse of power in Bulgaria, exacerbated by the country’s deteriorating relationship with the European Union, which it joined on Jan. 1, 2007.

Bulgaria lost 430 million euros — roughly $600 million — in European Union funds last year because of poor government administration and a failure to clean up graft. An additional 300 million euros in European Union funds for Bulgaria had been frozen.

Labels: Bulgaria, Elections

Right-wing party expects win in Bulgarian election

Voters angry over persistent corruption and a worsening economy are expected to oust Bulgaria's Socialist-led coalition and elevate the center-right party of Sofia's popular mayor to power in Sunday's parliamentary election. A change of power would continue a 19-year trend in Bulgaria in which no government has been re-elected, mainly because of tough reforms all have had to implement since the fall of Communism.

Borisov's center right party has been riding high on promises to jail corrupt officials and crime bosses. At his final rally Friday, Stanishev called on Bulgarians to give him a second chance to implement reforms, saying his Socialist-led coalition had maintained financial stability and ensured higher incomes.

Labels: Bulgaria, Elections, EU

Anti-Terror Action Plan: Germany Heightens Security Ahead of September Election

Germany is planning to implement a massive anti-terrorism action plan ahead of September's general election to thwart any possible attacks.Intelligence agencies believe that al-Qaida is planning to hit German targets abroad and possibly at home in the run up to the Sept. 27 vote that will pave the way for the next chancellor in revenge for the Germany's military mission in Afghanistan and to put pressure on Berlin to withdraw its forces.

The German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the domestic intelligence agency, have devised an anti-terror plan similar to the one used during the World Cup in 2006. It envisages intensifying the country's anti-terrorism measures aimed at detecting any possible attacks as early as possible.

Labels: Elections, EU, Germany, Terrorism

Iran cancels foreign media accreditation

The Culture Ministry said journalists could continue to work from their offices but that it was canceling press accreditation for all foreign media. ‘No journalist has permission to report or film or take pictures in the city,’ a Culture Ministry official told Reuters. The announcement came after three days of streets protests against Iran’s election results, during which at least seven people were reported to have been killed.

Labels: Elections, Iran

Iran reformists held after street clashes

Up to 100 members of Iranian reformist groups have been arrested, accused of orchestrating violence after the disputed presidential election result. Backers of defeated reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi were rounded up overnight, reports said, including the brother of ex-President Khatami. Angry crowds took to the streets to protest against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election, in spite of Mr Mousavi's post-election call to avoid violence. He has refused to accept the election result, calling it a "dangerous charade" and alleging wide-scale irregularities.

The European Union and Canada have voiced concern about allegations of irregularities. BBC correspondent John Simpson, in Tehran, says the truth about this election may never be known. But many observers in Iran feel that the final result did not reflect the extraordinary numbers of people who turned out to vote, he added.

Labels: Elections, Iran

Primary results say Ahmadinejad is winner of elections in Iran

Primary results of the 10th Presidential Elections show that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has got the majority of the votes. According to the head of Elections Headquarters Kamran Daneshjoo, Ahmadinejad has recieved 69.04 percent of the counted votes until 23:50 hours local time. Daneshjoo said Mir Hossein Mossavi has got 28.42 percent, Mohsen Rezaee 1.62 percent and Mehdi Karrobi 0.9 percent of the votes.

Labels: Elections, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Gordon Brown in happier days

For the complete report from Forbes.com click on this link

Britain - Brown's Last Stand- as his power quickly slips away - by Vidya Ram

Power is falling through Gordon Brown's fingers faster than sand. James Purnell, the minister for work and pensions, delivered the British prime minister his biggest blow late on Thursday, shortly after polling stations closed for local and European elections. In a public letter he called on Brown to "stand aside" in order to give the ruling Labor party a chance to win the next general election, then said he was quitting.Another sign of Brown's weakening hold is Treasury Minister Alistair Darling's refusal to step down. After he became mired in a scandal over expenses claims, Brown had repeatedly refused to confirm he would be in his job in ten days time, but the tide appears to have turned and government sources have now been telling the media that Darling will stay.

A re-shuffle of Brown's cabinet is now underway. Alan Johnson, currently in charge of health, has reportedly been moved to home secretary, previously the position of who recently resigned Jackie Smith. Alan Johnson, currently in charge of health is the bookmakers' favorite to take over as prime minister, if Brown's hold on the party completely folds.

Labels: Britain, Elections, EU, Gordon Brown

EU provides €19bn to tackle unemployment - by James Hall

The Commission said that the European Social Fund expenditure will "support people hit by the economic crisis". Usually, the EU requires member countries getting social funds to match these with money from their own funds. However José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, said that the recession was so severe that the EU would forgo the rule.The EU also said that it would also "reallocate" €100m from the existing EU budget to go towards a new microcredit facility which will help people wanting to start up businesses. It said it would also commit to providing five million apprenticeships across the EU and a raft of other services.The funds come ahead of four days of voting for a new European Parliament, when the spotlight will focus on voter turnout which has been sinking in EU elections — from 62pc in 1979 to under 46pc in 2004.

Labels: Elections, EU, EU Parliament

Europe's Unpopular Elections: Who Is to Blame for EU Voter Apathy? - by Siobhán Dowling

Voter turnout for this week's European parliamentary election is expected to be the lowest since direct elections began 30 years ago. Is this the fault of the parliament itself? Inadequate media coverage? Or are national governments failing in their responsibility to educate the electorate? The European election campaign is out of this world. Literally. Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne is beaming down a message from space calling on his fellow Europeans to vote in this week's European parliamentary election. "I have arranged to vote by proxy, so I won't miss out on the next European elections while I'm up here," he announced from the International Space Station in a video transmitted on Wednesday, adding somewhat unconvincingly: "Europe looks united from up here." This plea from the cosmos is just part of a big PR offensive the European Parliament press office is hoping will get out the vote from June 4-7. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and video site YouTube have been harnessed to connect with young people; press releases are fired out on a daily if not hourly basis extolling the virtues of the European Union; star footballers Olli Kahn, David Villa, Luis Figo have even been recruited to lure Europe's sporting fans to the voting booth.

This is the world's largest exercise in trans-national democracy. An estimated 375 million voters across 27 countries are eligible to cast their votes this week for the sole institution in the EU that is directly elected by the people. The other two are the executive branch known as the European Commission and the Council of Ministers, where each of the 27 governments has an equal say. YOUR VOTE COUNTS SO VOTE.IF YOU DON'T VOTE YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN. VOTE - ITS YOUR DUTY.

Labels: Elections, EU, EU Parliament

Conservative Party in Germany Gives Up on Anti-Turkey Stance - by Judy Dempsey

As citizens across Europe prepare to vote this week for a new European Parliament, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc has abandoned its attempt to create a wedge issue out of Turkey’s potential entry into the European Union. The change in approach is an acknowledgement by conservatives that they have more to gain by appealing to Germany’s 690,000 Turkish voters than by alienating them with blunt talk about the political and cultural differences separating Turkey and the rest of the E.U.

The conservatives view the parliamentary balloting, which starts on Thursday, as a barometer for the federal elections in September and realize that they need every vote they can get if Mrs. Merkel is to be re-elected. Though Mrs. Merkel spoke out against Turkey’s E.U. ambitions as recently as last month, the bloc has since refrained from making Turkey’s entry, or E.U. enlargement in general, a major issue in the campaign.

Labels: Elections, EU, EU Parliament, Germany

Berlusconi`s Migrant Crackdown Could Boost EU Vote

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's migrant crackdown could help him in European polls by playing to a popular law-and-order agenda and shifting attention away from his nasty divorce, analysts say.Despite U.N. criticism, Italy last week began intercepting refugees at sea and turning their boats back to Libya before they reach Italian waters, a move legal experts say may allow Rome to sidestep any obligation to receive asylum requests. Viewed together with tough legislation in parliament making illegal immigration a crime, analysts say Berlusconi is reviving the law-and-order campaign that got him elected a year ago -- just in time for June 6-7 elections for the European parliament. "We're seeing a repeat of what happened in last year's elections," said political analyst James Walston. "Berlusconi seems to be managing the agenda. He's moving it away from personal matters ... He's saying 'look at me and look at the wonderful things I'm doing to protect your streets'."

The policy has met opposition from the United Nations, the Catholic Church and human rights groups, who say Italy is undermining access to asylum in Europe, but has won support well beyond Berlusconi's conservative base.

Labels: Elections, EU, Italy, Silvio Berlusconi

Geert Wilders - Dutch PM?

EU-Digest

The Netherlands: Geert Wilders, a product of collective political misperception in the Netherlands throws shadow on the Dutch concept of tolerance

Recently we read the ten commandments of Mr. Geert Wilders political party PVV, presently leading in Dutch political polls.

"1. Stop cultural relativism. We need an article in our constitutions that lays down that we have a Jewish-Christian and humanism culture. 2. Stop pretending that Islam is a religion. Islam is a totalitarian ideology. In other words, the right to religious freedom should not apply to Islam. 3. Stop mass immigration by people from Muslim countries. We have to end Al-Hijra. 4. Encourage voluntary repatriation. 5. Expel criminal foreigners and criminals with dual nationality, after denationalization, and send them back to their Arab countries. Likewise, expel all those who incite to a ‘violent jihad’. 6. We need an European First Amendment to strengthen free speech. 7. Have every member of a non-Western minority sign a legally binding contract of assimilation. 8. We need a binding pledge of allegiance in all Western countries. 9. Stop the building of new mosques. As long as no churches or synagogues are allowed to be build in countries like Saudi-Arabia we will not allow one more new mosque in our western countries. Close all mosques where incitement to violence is taking place. Close all Islamic schools, for they are fascist institutions and young children should not be educated an ideology of hate and violence. 10. Get rid of the current weak leaders. We have the privilege of living in a democracy. Let’s use that privilege and exchange cowards for heroes. We need more Churchills and less Chamberlains."

Amazing stuff, if we think that this is being proclaimed in 2009 not only by a European politician, but one born in the Netherlands, considered by many in the world as one of the most tolerant and democratic nations on earth. Three of his objectives - 6, 7, 8, also advocated by politicians from other parties, are probably acceptable, but Mr Wilders' desire to eliminate Islam from the shores of Europe and " voluntarily" repatriate Europeans who belong to the Muslim faith, bring to memory some of the saddest moments in European history. When one closely listens to Geert Wilders speaking in public, many of his arguments resemble those published before and during the second world war in Nazi Germany by a weekly tabloid called "Der Stürmer". This publication was a significant part of the Nazi propaganda machinery and was extremely anti-Semitic. Der Stürmer often ran obscene materials and propaganda-like accusations in order to appeal to a larger public of readers, especially those among the lower class. The only difference being that the Nazi's focused on the Jews and Wilders on the Muslims.

If there was an election today some opinion polls put Wilders' PVV as the biggest party in the Netherlands. According to the latest Dutch Maurice de Hond polling bureau figures, the PVV would take 32 seats out of the available 150. The party currently has nine seats in parliament. Labor leader and Government coalition member Wouter Bos (PVDA) on Monday told an audience of students at the Amsterdam's Vrije ( Free) University that his party ruled out any possibility of the PvdA being part of a coalition government with Geert Wilders' anti-Islam PVV. Bos's comments now means that all the left of center parties in the Dutch parliament are united in their unwillingness to form a coalition with Wilders after the next election. The Christian Democrats (CDA), also a member of the Dutch coalition government and the opposition conservative VVD so far have not ruled out an alliance with Wilders. Fortunately "a lot of water will still have to flow under the bridge" before the next scheduled Dutch general elections in May 2011. Right now, however, Geert Wilders, considered by his political opponents as a populist bigot is leading the pack of Dutch politicians. Whatever happens in the 2011 general elections, or maybe even earlier, this trend favoring Geert Wilders also shows that the majority of Dutch citizens really are not as tolerant as some people say they are. The positive side of this controversial debate is that it shows that democracy, freedom of speech and religion are a common right of every EU citizen. No one needs to fear persecution by speaking out on, or expressing an opinion about any issue. That applies to everyone, including Mr. Wilders.

Labels: Elections, EU, Geert Wilders, The Netherlands

Iceland closer to joining EU after left-wing victory - by Leigh Phillips

Icelandic voters punished the centre-right party that had governed the country for most of the last 18 years and dominated it for generations, delivering a clear majority in a snap general election to the centre-left Social Democrats and far-left and ecologist Left Green Movement.The Social Democrats believe the crisis, or kreppa, has taught them that their small economy will only be battered again and again if they do not seek the shelter of the 27-country bloc. Ms Sigurdardottir has said she wants to begin the application process "within weeks" of the election. The Left Greens, for their part, say the EU is too undemocratic and "neo-liberal", the very ideology, they say, that caused the crisis in the first place. They also fear loss of control over the country's natural resources. The Independence party meanwhile has traditionally opposed EU membership as well, but analysts believe that this uncompromising stance has lost it the support of sections of the business community who agree with the new prime minister that there is no alternative to beginning negotiations with Brussels.

Labels: Economy, Elections, EU, Iceland

Jose Manuel Durao Barroso

For the complete report from the Atlantic Community.org click on this link

"An Opponent to Barroso Would Reduce EU's Democratic Deficit" - by Marek Kubista

The European elections are fast approaching, yet there is little suspense in the air. Perhaps that’s because the outcome is pre-determined: the PPE will win and Jose Manuel Durao Barroso will be reappointed. In April, the left will be given a final chance to decide on a candidate and strengthen European democracy. The deal had been brokered three months before the actual elections: Barroso will stay in Brussels for another 5 years. During the European Council Summit on March 19, the French, German and Italian governments officially expressed their support to his reappointment. The British, Portuguese and Spanish governments did so months ago. What is striking is that leaders like Sarkozy showed little enthusiasm for the idea, but no other “rightist” candidate was acceptable to Member States.

This is surprising as Barroso's policy during his first term in office was one of the worst ever to be carried out from a European Commission President. Under his mandate, three different countries rejected both the Constitutional Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty. He has without doubt failed to justify and promote a new project for European citizens. Indeed, the few significant projects which he endorsed, like the energy-climate package, proved limited when adopted. Barroso's refusal to challenge Member States reveals the prioritizing of personal ambition over serving the European Commission's mission

Note EU-Digest: To some Mr. Barroso(53) never seems to show any form of charisma and appears more like a loyal civil servant trying to avoid controversy. On the other hand he has quite an interesting background. Barroso was the Prime Minister of Portugal from April 6, 2002 until the 29th of June 2004, before he took the Presidential position in the EU Commission from the previous president Italian Romano Prodi. During his tenure in Portugal as PM, Barroso supported the US war in Iraq which provoked much protest within the local society and government. Barroso became active in politics in 1974 when he joined the Carnation Revolution (25 April 1974) and has been a member of the Social Democratic Party since 1980. Barroso also was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Portugal from 1992 to 1995. In the year 1999 Barroso was elected president of the Social Democratic Party. Barroso became a member of the European Movement in 1991, a result of his interest in the EU, and prior to that he founded the University Association for European studies in 1979. Barroso graduated from the University of Lisbon with a degree in Law and received an MSC in Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Labels: Elections, EU, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, Presidency

Erdogan Vote Shrinks in Election as Recession Bites - by Mark Bentley and Steve Bryant

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lost votes in an election for the first time in his seven-year rule after the economy dived into recession, weakening his hand with secular rivals over Islam’s role in politics. Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party won 39 percent of the vote in the municipal election with 97 percent of ballots counted, 8 points less than in a general election two years ago, according to unofficial results published by CNN Turk and NTV news channels. The secular Republican People’s Party was second with 23 percent. Erdogan’s party lost control of the mayoralty of the Mediterranean tourism hub of Antalya to the Republicans and gave up the southern city of Adana to the nationalist opposition.

Last year, Erdogan survived a move by prosecutors to ban him from politics and shut down his party for seeking to introduce Islamic law. The case, which cited Justice party legislation to lift the ban on Islamic-style headscarves at universities, failed by a single vote in the Constitutional Court.

Labels: Elections, Turkey

West Favors Dane for Top NATO Post, but Turkish Hurdles Remain

The United States gave its blessing to the appointment of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next NATO secretary general in Brussels over the weekend, paving the way for him to take over the trans-Atlantic alliance's top civilian job in August. Washington also enjoys strong support for the choice of Rasmussen from its three biggest European allies in the alliance -- Germany, France and the UK. Although Rasmussen, 56, declined to publicly comment on the possibility of succeeding Dutch diplomat Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, he never officially ruled himself out as a candidate for a post that has traditionally gone to a European.

The main snag to Rasmussen's nomination, which needs to be approved by all members of the 26-nation alliance, is possible opposition to his candidacy from Turkey, a secular nation that is predominantly Muslim. "The cartoon crisis has a larger dimension than just Turkey," a Turkish official, who requested anonymity, told Reuters. "At a time when NATO is going to assume added responsibility in Afghanistan and Pakistan, having a secretary general with such an objectionable approach to billions of Muslims, is not the right approach to the Muslim world." Turkey has also attacked Denmark for failing to revoke the broadcasting license of a television station that Ankara has accused of being a mouthpiece for Kurdish rebels opposed to the government. Adding fuel to the fire, Rasmussen had publicly stated in 2003 that he opposed full EU membership for Turkey.

Note EU-Digest:
Turkey will certainly not be so foolish as to shoot themselves in the foot with a veto about a religious matter if they claim to be a secular state and say they believe in Freedom of Speech. Hopefully European NATO members, including the Turks will talk about more serious issues, like what purpose the NATO has now the cold war has ended and why it should become the world's policeman?

Labels: Denmark, Elections, EU, Fogh Rasmussen, Nato, Turkey

Hungary's prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany resigns- by Colin Freeman

Ferenc Gyurcsany, of the ruling Socialists, made the unexpected announcement at his party's congress, keeping a pledge he made in January last year to step down if his party's popularity failed to recover. It leaves him as one of the first major political casualties of the ongoing economic downturn, which has hit particularly hard in Eastern Europe. Last month Latvia’s centre-right government resigned after widespread street protests at alleged economic mismanagement.

Fidesz, the main centre-right opposition party, said it would propose holding early elections. "The Socialist government is the country's disgrace and early elections are in the country's interest," said the Fidesz party, led by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Labels: Elections, EU, Hungary

Exit polls predict slender win for Centrist Tzipi Livni in Israeli election by Rory McCarthy

Israeli elections tonight produced the tightest of races with early television exit polls putting Tzipi Livni, the centrist foreign minister, narrowly ahead of the rightwing opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu. Polls from three main television stations, broadcast moments after voting closed, all put Livni's Kadima party ahead by two seats, but they also predicted that rightwing parties had fared best overall. Livni was predicted as winning either 29 or 30 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.For months leading up to the election Netanyahu had been comfortably ahead in the polls, but his lead narrowed sharply in the final days. In part the rise of far-right leader Lieberman took votes away from the Likud party, although the right-wing as a whole looked set to dominate.

Note EU-Digest: Only the US Obama Government has the power to "throw water" on the hard-line right wingers in Israel who seem to be poised to form the next Israeli government.

Labels: Elections, Israel, Tzipi Livni

For the complete report from Radio Netherlands click on this linkRomania: Social Democrats win Romanian elections

The Romanian parliamentary elections have been won by the Social Democratic opposition party PSD. Voters cast their ballots for both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The PSD has taken about 35 percent of the seats in both houses of parliament. President Traian Basescu's conservative PDL-L party won about 31 percent of the votes; Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu's ruling Liberal Democratic PNL party won 20 percent. Observers say the formation of a coalition government could be a long and difficult process. Romania, which joined the European Union in 2007, has been hit hard by the financial crisis and tens of thousands of people could lose their jobs. During the election campaign, the Social Democrats tried to capitalise on these problems by promising tax cuts and benefits for the poor.

Labels: Elections, EU, Romania

Czech Republic holds Senate runoff elections

Partial results from Czech elections to fill almost one-third of the Senate indicate Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek's party will lose its majority in the upper house. Results from more than half of polling stations show the opposition Social Democrats leading second-round elections for 22 of the 26 seats up for grabs in the 81-seat Senate. The opposition party had campaigned on criticism of the government's plans for placing a U.S. missile defense radar base in the country.

Labels: Czech Republic, Elections, EU, Missile Crises

No change for Canada

IT IS an emphatic victory, even if the ruling party has failed, again, to secure a majority in parliament. Results from the general election held on Tuesday October 14th suggest that the Conservatives, led by Stephen Harper, have secured 143 of the 308 seats in the House of Commons, a gain of 16 seats. The Liberal Party, led by Stéphane Dion, has suffered a serious defeat, picking up just 76 seats. Not everything has gone to plan for Mr Harper. Conventional wisdom in Canada suggests that no party can form a majority government without a strong showing in the French-speaking province of Quebec. His assiduous courting of Quebeckers since he took office in January 2006 produced no results. He learned to speak French passably, declared them a nation and gave the province a special seat at international gatherings. Despite those efforts, the big gains he envisaged did not materialize.

Some pundits are predicting that the new government will not last long. For weary Canadians, who have now voted three times in less than five years, the prospect of another election would be unwelcome. The only consolation is that tight restrictions on both political contributions and spending mean that general elections cost a pittance compared with those next door USA.

Labels: Canada, Elections

Labels: Elections, EU, Obama, US

US Pres. Elections - Obama and Biden To Start Campaigning in Springfield Illinois today - by Philip Fernando

It’s final. Barrack Obama and Joe Biden will head the Democratic Party ticket at the presidential election. Obama used the vice-presidential announcement to extend until the very last minute, and teed up the coverage of the convention. Speculation was rampant and they gained control of the media waves for days. Senator Joe Biden would definitely attract white, blue-collar voters, an apparent vacuum that Obama had to fill to win the presidency. Whatever weaknesses Biden has may be fodder for the Republicans who would be pouncing on them soon. He has said a number of politically incorrect things over the years and, in the days following his selection those snippets would be aired again and again. Generally speaking, US voters are smart enough to forgive the genuine flaws of candidates, most observed.

But over the long haul, Biden provides what Obama needed most. He will also be getting a substantial catholic voter support. After serving in the world’s most pompous workplace, the Senator, Biden retained an ostentatiously unpretentious manner. He could be described an honest working class Democrat who has disdain for privilege and for limousine liberals, said one commentator. This year, Democrats in general, and Obama in particular, have trouble connecting with working-class voters, especially Catholic ones. Biden would be considered the bridge.

Labels: Elections, John McCain, Obama, USA

British elections: Brown's party routed in UK elections, loses London - by Tim Castle and Katherine Baldwin

"If the economic crisis continues through 2010, Brown's dead in the water," MORI pollster Robert Worcester told Reuters. The Conservatives, the once dominant party of Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, were in buoyant mood after more than a decade in the political wilderness.They scored victories in the north of England where they have struggled and in Labour heartlands in Wales. Labor lost Reading council, its last remaining stronghold in the wealthy southeast of England.

Labels: Britain, Elections, EU, Gordon Brown, London, Politics

EU (plays politics)and cracks door for Serbia in advance of vote - by Stephen Castle and Dan Bilefski

With a fresh round of tight elections looming in Serbia, the European Union on Tuesday signed a pre-membership pact with Belgrade in a bid to help pro-Western forces avoid defeat by nationalists at the polls May 11. European ministers overcame sharp internal divisions over the Serbian government's failure to hunt down war crimes suspects and signed an agreement giving the clearest signal yet that Serbia can eventually join the 27-nation bloc.

The gesture could help turn the elections next month into a test of whether Serbia wants to join the EU - the world's largest trading bloc - or adopt a nationalist path more closely aligned with Moscow. Under a compromise among EU governments, Belgrade will not receive the benefits from the trade and assistance accord with the EU until it is judged to be cooperating fully with the United Nations war crimes tribunal.

Labels: Elections, EU, Serbia

Italian Poll Verdict - by Abdul Ruff

Italy is the fourth largest European economy and has one of the highest per capita incomes in Europe. The country's traditional manufacturing industries suffered a downturn during the final years of the twentieth century, but there have recently been some signs that the economy is beginning to recover from its decade-long slump. Italy's economy has been slipping in the face of low productivity and a strong euro, and analysts say young people, pensioners and low-income workers are feeling the pressure. Although Italy faces a massive public debt, both candidates have promised tax cuts and handouts to voters. The extent of Italy's malaise was made clear only a week before the ballot, when the IMF cut its growth forecast for the country to 0.3% for both 2008 and 2009. That would make Italy's the slowest-growing economy in Europe and among the G8 rich countries. In 2006 it was overtaken by Spain and next year it may fall behind Greece.

The Italian political landscape underwent a seismic shift in the 1990s when the "Clean Hands" operation exposed corruption at the highest levels of politics and big business. Several former prime ministers were implicated and thousands of businessmen and politicians were investigated. In the mid-1990s its GDP per head, at purchasing-power parity, was 20% above the average for the 27 countries in today's European Union. It was richer than Britain and France, and second to Germany among big EU states. Twelve years on, it has fallen below the EU 27 average for the first time.

There are some reasons for hope, though. Italy's employment performance is good: joblessness is at a 30-year low. Exports have been booming, despite the strong euro. Italy's banks have improved under the spur of competition, and they have mostly avoided the sub-prime debt that is dragging down rivals in Europe.

Labels: Elections, EU, Italy

Outrage over Berlusconi remarks on immigration

Italy’s Prime Minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi was running true to form on Tuesday as he basked in his overwhelming victory in the general elections held earlier this week. By declaring that illegal immigrants are “an army of evil” he gave Italians a taste of things to come. There has been a rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment in Italy, especially towards people coming from Romania, Albania, Kosovo, and other parts of the Balkans, with attempts to repatriate Roma gypsies often described as “liars and thieves.” In a long press conference, Mr. Berlusconi brushed off criticism that he would be putty in the hands of his key coalition partner Umberto Bossi of the Northern League who has been calling for the break-up of Italy into three distinct federal regions so that the wealthy north no longer has to subsidize the poor south. However, he did say he would “increase neighbourhood police forces who would place themselves between the people of Italy and the army of evil.” Mr. Berlusconi’s remarks caused tremendous outrage and prompted Walter Veltroni of the Democratic Party who lost the election to remark: “I am horrified by his statements so far. His words do not add up to a good start.”

Note EU-Digest: Silvio Berlusconi is the worst possible choice for Italy at this stage of its history. It is sinking under a huge public debt, the heaviest tax burden in the euro zone, and the fastest aging workforce. Mr. Berlusconi probably realizes that the premier in a country with a 900-odd member parliament and numerous parties holds virtually no executive power. "He has no more projects," says Mr. Ferrara, an old fan. "He has no delusions. He has become very cynical. Italy is so hard to rule that Berlusconi probably figures, 'I won't try anything, I will go with the mainstream and give Italians what they want, shelter from competition, the tax man and most of all, "precariousness" of any kind". Italy today is like "a person on life support" and its re-elected leader Berlusconi provides no hope for change. Italy's problems and the election of Berlusconi prompted comedian Beppe Grillo to joke: "Please, invade us. Help us!"

Labels: Berlusconi, Elections, EU, Italy

EU's first president could earn 270,000 euros a year

The EU's first president could earn 270,000 euros ($427,000) and potential perks include a housing allowance, car and some 22 staff, Belgian media reported on Tuesday. EU ambassadors to Brussels have already started discussing the terms and conditions of the new post, as well as the job description and the proposed role the head of the 27-member organization will have. Suggestions have been made that the post could be purely administrative or the president could act as the organization's fully-fledged envoy. The introduction of the EU president post is part of the Lisbon Treaty, signed late last year, which states the EU president should be elected by European leaders for a term of two and a half years and will represent Europe on the international arena. The Lisbon Treaty is expected to come into effect on January 1, 2009 after ratification by parliaments in all EU member-countries, except Ireland, which is preparing to hold a referendum.

Note EU-Digest: EU Citizens need to be able to elect the President they have, not get someone like Tony Blair shoved into their shoes.

Labels: Elections, EU, EU CONSTITUTION, President

Berlusconi Wins Italian Election, Set for Third Term (Italians vote in favor of self-destructions) - by Steve Scherer and Flavia Krause-Jackson)

Billionaire media mogul Silvio Berlusconi won a majority in both houses of the Italian parliament and will return to power for a third term as premier. Berlusconi's People of Liberty party and its allies took 166 seats in the Senate, the upper house, to 138 for Walter Veltroni's Democratic Party and its partner, according to a projection by RAI state television. In the Chamber of Deputies, Berlusconi took 45.9 percent of the vote compared with Veltroni's 38.9 percent, RAI estimated. That would give Berlusconi about 340 lower-house seats out of 630. ``Berlusconi is back,'' said Maurizio Pessato, chief executive officer of polling company SWG Srl in Trieste, Italy. ``With this result, he can last.''

Note EU-Digest: The question might not be if he can last, but if the Italians can survive? Italy deserves better.

Labels: Berlusconi, Elections, Italy

Walter Veltroni: projecting Italy as the 'hub' of neoliberal Europe

Walter Veltroni is the main centre-left challenger to Berlusconi in Italy’s general election. As leader of the Democratic Party, he rejects local and social movement campaigns in territorial autonomy and favours making Italy a military and industrial ‘hub’, writes Enzo Mangini .

Ten pillars, twelve actions to be implemented immediately, and a green bus to spread the word traveling across Italy’s 110 provinces – these are the numbers behind the electoral campaign of Walter Veltroni, former mayor of Rome and leader of the recently formed Democratic Party (Partito Democratico, PD). Veltroni is challenging Silvio Berlusconi in the general election of 13 and 14 April. After the fall of Romano Prodi’s centre-left coalition, Veltroni has led an aggressive campaign to erode the allegedly enormous lead that Berlusconi started with in opinion polls. To do so, Veltroni chose to shrink the ponderous 280-page programme which Prodi’s coalition presented to voters two years ago to a mere 20-page folder, available in slides on PD’s appealing website.

Labels: Elections, EU, Italy, Veltroni

Rome's centre-left mayor - to become Italy's next prime minister has sparked strong interest both at home and in wider Europe, but polls and analysts suggest that media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi has a higher chance of winning and achieving a third-time comeback as leader of the EU's fourth largest country.

Mr Prodi, a former European Commission president, lost a confidence vote mainly due to internal struggles in his nine-party ruling coalition and protests by small coalition parties against changes in election laws. While Mr Prodi managed to cut the country's budgetary deficit from 4.4 percent of GDP in 2006 to 2.4 percent in 2007, Italy is still struggling with its enormous public debt which remains bigger than its gross domestic product. The gloomy economic outlook of the country has been a key factor in the current campaign, with EU economy commissioner Joaquin Almunia stressing recently that a health-check of Italy's public finances "must be one of the objectives of all of the candidates taking part in the elections."

Mr Berlusconi (71) lost the 2006 elections overwhelmingly due to dissatisfaction among voters with his economic performance. Despite referring to himself as a champion of free markets and holding a comfortable majority in parliament, he failed to fully liberate Italy's rigid pension and social system.

Viewed as a relative youngster by Italian political standards, Mr Veltroni is trying to inspire young voters, as well as the around 30 percent of the electorate that remains undecided. He has been campaigning under an Italian version of "Yes, we can" – the slogan of Barack Obama, a front-runner Democrat candidate for the US presidency elections. Mr Veltroni promises to boost Italy's economy and transparency over public affairs.

Labels: Elections, EU, Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, Veltroni

Municipal French Elections Appear to Rebuke Sarkozy - Molly Moore and Corinne Gavard

Preliminary voting returns and exit polls indicated that Socialist candidates were outpolling members of Sarkozy's ruling Union for a Popular Movement for mayoral seats in key towns and were easily maintaining their power bases in Paris and Lyon, the country's third-largest city. Nine months after his inauguration as president, Sarkozy has become such a liability to his own party that most candidates from his party shunned his support in their campaigns and some stripped the governing party's labels from their Internet sites and campaign literature. Socialist leader Francois Hollande said voters Sunday sent "a warning to the president of the republic and the government on the policies conducted over the past nine months."

Labels: Elections, France, Sarkozy

Socialists of Prime Minister Jose Zapatero'win Spanish elections

Spanish state television said Prime Minister Jose Zapatero's party had won 172-176 seats in the 350-seat lower house, while the conservative opposition Popular Party won 148-152 seats. Other polls say the Socialists have won as many as 178, passing the 176-seat threshold needed for an absolute majority. That would spell the end of the hung parliament that has forced them to court smaller parties to pass laws.

Labels: Elections, EU, Jose Zapatero, Spain

Economy holds strong ahead of Spain election - by Marian Hens

Spain boasts the world's eighth largest economy with a yearly growth of 3.75%, double the European average. The country has a modern and solid banking sector, has been running budget surpluses and created around 600,000 jobs each year, reducing unemployment from 25% in 1994 to a staggering 8.6%.

"Spain's extraordinary economic growth over the last 14 years is the result of a combination of exceptional circumstances, such as cheap credit, vast amounts of EU funds, and a booming housing market", says Miguel Angel García, co-author of the report The Spanish Economy in 2008, published by CCOO, one of the country's main trade unions. The election is expected to be very close.

Labels: Elections, EU, Spain

Medvedev wins landslide in Russian election: early results

Dmitry Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin's handpicked successor, won a landslide victory in Russia's presidential election Sunday, early results showed, as opponents charged the result was rigged. Medvedev -- a 42-year-old bureaucrat who says he will name Putin prime minister -- had 66.5 percent of the vote, according to the early figures. Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov was in second place with 19 percent, the Central Elections Commission said after counting ballots from a third of polling stations. Nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky got 11.7 percent and the almost unknown Andrei Bogdanov 1.46 percent. Exit polls also predicted a crushing Medvedev victory.

Independent observers highlighted a stream of violations, however, saying the media was censored, people were pressured to vote, absentee ballots were abused, and monitors were refused access to polling stations.

Labels: Elections, Medvedev, Russia

Spain's Zapatero leads in Polls

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero outperformed People’s Party leader Mariano Rajoy in a televised debate, the first in 15 years in Spain, with less than two weeks before voters decide which of them will lead the next government, polls show . Four polls after the debate showed viewers thought Zapatero did better by margins of between 3,5 percentage points and 16 percentage points. The 90-minute encounter that finished at midnight on Monday was seen by more than 13-million people, almost a third of the population.

Unlike recent political debates among presidential candidates in the US, the two rivals did not couch their criticism with any praise for the other’s integrity or record.

Labels: Elections, EU, Spain

Raúl Castro Elected President of Cuba

Cuba´s National Assembly of People´s Power today elected Raul Castro Ruz as president of the Council of State for the next five years.

For the video report from liveLeak "Who is Raoul Castro click on this link

Labels: Cuba, Elections, Raul Castro

Silvio Berlusconi does not deserve another chance of power in Italy - by Brownwen Maddox

The prospect should be unthinkable, but polls suggest that Italians may pick Silvio Berlusconi for a third stint as prime minister in their quest for a government. Leave aside the conflict of interest with his media and business empire, and his amendment, while in office, of laws on penal justice that helped him to sidestep charges of false accounting. Leave aside, too, for a moment, his reform of the electoral laws that has returned Italy to the days of splintering governments that cannot withstand the strain of difficult decisions for much more than a year. But even considering his record in office, there is not enough to warrant a return. If people want to attempt a justification, they point to two slivers of reform on pensions and employment. That is all they can do, because there are no other cases where Berlusconi clearly acted for Italy's benefit rather than his own.

Labels: Crime, Elections, EU, Italy, Silvio Berlusconi

Castro - a political icon resigns

For the complete report from the BBC click on this link

End of Castro's half century in power - by Michael Voss

The news that Fidel Castro is stepping down as president after almost 50 years in power came in the middle of the night, through the online edition of the official Communist party newspaper Granma.

Under the headline "Message from the Commander in Chief", the 81-year-old revolutionary leader wrote: "I will not aspire to nor accept - I repeat, I will not aspire to nor accept - the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief." This effectively marks the end of an era. Mr Castro has ruled this Caribbean island since the revolution in 1959. Most Cubans have known no other leader or system, with more than 70% of the population born after the revolution.

Mr Castro pursued an egalitarian society, with free health-care and education. Mr Castro handed temporary power to his brother Raul a year-and-a-half ago after undergoing emergency surgery. A year-and-a-half later and Raul Castro appears to be firmly in control. But in a keynote speech last year Raul Castro told the nation that "structural and conceptual" changes were needed to get the island's faltering economy back on its feet. All of this has raised widespread expectations that major economic changes at least are on the way. In recent months Raul Castro has initiated a wide-sweeping internal debate over what changes people want to see.

Andrew Johnston from Leeds in the UK writes: "Castro led a regime that successfully looked after the basic needs of its people for 50 years, and he did it in the face of an American embargo. When one looks at the sorry state of the other countries in 'America's back-yard' one can only salute a man who was able to look after his own in defiance of the world's greatest military super-power. One of the last towering giants of politics will be lamented in this age of clown Prime Ministers and buffoon Presidents".

Labels: Cuba, Elections, Fidel Castro, Political

Northern Cyprus - Nicosia presently divided

For the complete report from the EurasiaNet click on this link

Cyprus Vote: Big Ramifications for Turkey's EU Bid and NATO's Operational Capacity

The future of Turkey’s European Union bid could hinge on the February 17 presidential election in Cyprus. The prospect of a new Greek Cypriot leadership may offer the last chance for uniting the divided island, analysts say. Permanent division, experts add, would create a lasting source of political tension that not only could prevent Turkey’s EU accession, but also hamper the EU’s and NATO’s strategic capabilities. "The results of the election will be important, if we are going to have a move forward," says Philippos Savvides, Greek Cypriot political analyst based in Athens. Brussels is set to review progress on Turkey’s membership bid in 2009, leaving this year as the only window of opportunity to make headway on the Cyprus issue, Savvides says. "It will be a mess if we don’t have a resolution."

Cyprus has been split since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island’s northern part to safeguard its Turkish Cypriot community, which comprised some 20 percent of the total population. With United Nations peacekeepers monitoring a ceasefire line separating the island’s Greek and Turkish parts, the Cyprus issue has made little progress toward reunification over the decades. There was some hope for a resolution in 2004, when Turkey signed on to the United Nations-brokered Annan plan, which called for Ankara to withdraw its troops, and Cyprus to be reunited. The new Cyprus would have been comprised of two confederal states, one Greek and one Turkish, with a loose central government.

Note EU-Digest: The UN plan for reunification could be back on the table after hardliner Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos was eliminated in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, meaning a surprise run-off between two candidates who both want talks on re-uniting the island. The vote is key to efforts to bring back together the war-divided Mediterranean island and to Turkey's European Union aspirations. Analysts said Papadopoulos's elimination signaled Greek Cypriots are ready to return to the negotiation table. Right wing backed Ioannis Kassoulides and Communist Demetris Christofias have already pledged a more conciliatory approach to estranged Turkish Cypriots, who have lived separately since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. With all the vote counted, Kassoulides had 33.5 percent, Christofias 33.3 percent and Papadopoulos only 31.8 percent. The run-off will be on February 24.

Labels: Cyprus, Elections, EU, Turkey

Abortion emerges as election issue in Italy

The emotive subject of abortion has emerged as an election issue ahead of Italy's vote on April the 13th. The high profile journalist Giuliano Ferrara has announced plans to run for election on a single-issue, pro-life ticket. On Monday, would-be centre-right Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi endorsed Ferrara's call for a UN moratorium on terminations, but stopped short of backing an alliance with his new party. Ferrara's comments have also been endorsed by top Catholic officials in the Vatican. Centre-left politicians, meanwhile, have roundly condemned Ferrara's campaign as an attack on women's rights. Former Minister Rosy Bindi, a Catholic member of the Democratic Party, confirmed her personal opposition to abortion but said the issue had no place in an election campaign.

Labels: Elections, Italy

US Pres. elections Republicans Root for Obama who is not the underdog anymore - by Fred Barnes

Republicans and Barack Obama are far apart ideologically, but they have a common enemy: Hillary Clinton. This explains why many Republicans look kindly on Obama's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Republicans have two goals in the 2008 race. One is to retain the presidency. The other is to deny the Clintons--Hillary and Bill--another four (or eight) years in the White House.Barack Obama is the underdog no more.

The 46-year-old Illinois senator handed rival Hillary Clinton three more humbling defeats Tuesday night in the Democratic presidential race, winning easy victories in the so-called "Potomac primaries" in the U.S. capital region. Obama handily beat Clinton to win the Democratic primaries in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. He won almost 75 per cent of the vote in D.C. and almost two thirds in Virginia, a state with a large population of military personnel and government workers that was once considered fertile political ground for Clinton.

Even before the votes were tallied on Tuesday, Clinton already was looking ahead to another set of primaries in Ohio and Texas. She held a rally Tuesday night in El Paso. "I think just the fact that Barack Obama is in this place where Hillary Clinton has skedaddled out of town and is down in Texas, already just saying goodbye to these (Potomac) primaries, is a remarkable situation," said Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, an Obama supporter. "It's a remarkable statement." Clinton's campaign has also begun planning for yet another major showdown with Obama on April 22 in Pennsylvania.

Labels: Elections, Hillary Clinton, Obama

Italy- the Italian Obama - Send for Mr Nice Guy - by Rosemary Righter

Two years ago, an impressive 83 per cent of Italian voters turned out in an election that neither Silvio Berlusconi nor Romano Prodi deserved to win. Italy's choice lay between a sleek snake-oil merchant who had done culpably little with a record five years in power, and a rumpled political cobbler whose chances of getting anything done at all were slight. So here again is Il Cavaliere Silvio, back in the running for the third time and lengths ahead of Walter Veltroni, the centre-left horse in this race. Yet the finish could be close. What is new is that Mr Veltroni has understood one big thing about Silvio's appeal: that he stands out from the rest of the pack. And he is attempting to steal his act.

Mr Veltroni, whose day job is Mayor of Rome, is the leader of a “new” Democratic Party, forged last autumn by merging his Margarita Party with the ex-communist Democrats of the Left. The DP, he now says, will break with the idea of coalition, fighting this election alone. This is being greeted as a big gamble, which suits Mr Veltroni just fine, but is actually cold calculation. There was no way to market the same old squabbling bunch as an attractive new team. Besides, polls show that more voters would back the DP if it cut loose from the hard Left. Mr Veltroni goes farther: what he is selling is himself. And a most marketable commodity he is.

“SuperWalter” is everything that Il Cavaliere is not, all bella figura (socially accomplished) to Silvio's brutta figura (can't take the man anywhere). A writer and film buff, he has been dubbed Buonismo, roughly translatable as Mr Nice Guy. He is a luvvie's dream candidate who has put Rome back on the cultural map. He entered politics as a communist (even editing L'Unità, the party paper), but morphed seamlessly into an admirer of the Kennedys. His new model? Barack Obama. He has even echoed Obama's slogan, “Yes we can”, and talks about “turning the page” and “the end of an era of brawls and hatred”. His pitch is that Mr Berlusconi, 71, is the man of the past who disappointed everybody, and that he, a mere 52, is the man of “renewal” . But he says it politely.

Labels: Elections, Italy, Walter Veltroni

Germany's Merkel dealt setback in state vote - by Madeleine Chambers

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives suffered heavy losses in an election in the western state of Hesse on Sunday, dealing her a blow ahead of next year's national vote. Long-time Hesse Premier and Merkel ally Roland Koch had run a bitterly divisive campaign advocating crackdowns on foreign criminals which was backed by the chancellor but ultimately backfired. His Christian Democrats (CDU) took 36.6 percent of the vote, down sharply from the 49 percent they scored in the last Hesse election in 2003, and a shade behind the rival Social Democrats (SPD) at 36.9 percent, preliminary results showed

Labels: Angela Merkel, Elections, EU, Germany

Spain: Zapatero's bear fight

The surprise ingredient in the Spanish election of March 2004 was the Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 commuters just three days before the vote. Thanks to the clumsiness of the outgoing People's Party (PP) government, which tried to blame Basque terrorists, not Islamist radicals, the bombs provoked an unexpected change. What had looked like a PP shoo-in turned into a Socialist bounce-back, handing victory to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, now Spain's prime minister. Four years on, Mr Zapatero is seeking re-election. This time, too, a surprise ingredient has arrived ahead of the March 9th poll. But, despite the recent arrest in Barcelona of 14 Muslim immigrants suspected of planning fresh attacks, it has nothing to do with Islam. After four years in which Spain's politicians have argued bitterly about almost everything else, the new ingredient is the economy.

Few would have predicted this even six months ago. An economy growing at a healthy lick of 3.8% seemed to be one of the strongest of Mr Zapatero's weapons. But since then Spain's housing bubble has burst and inflation has risen. Global financial turmoil now threatens to turn a hoped-for soft landing into something much harder.

Labels: Elections, EU, Spain, Zapatero

US elections: If McCain is the Republican Candidate he can beat Obama and Hillary

Republican John McCain holds a small advantage over Democrat Barack Obama in a prospective 2008 United States presidential contest, according to a poll by Zogby International released by Reuters. 45 per cent of respondents would vote for the Arizona senator, while 43 per cent would back the Illinois senator. Support for McCain in this match-up increased by two points since December, while backing for Obama fell by four points. In another match-up, McCain holds a five-point lead over New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Labels: Elections, US

Mr Musharraf held talks in Brussels with Javier Solana, the EU’s high representative for foreign policy, who said he had stressed the EU’s desire that Pakistan should “move forward on a path of reform and the rule of law”. With European countries contributing more than half of the 41,700-strong international force conducting military operations against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, the EU has a strong interest in seeing a decline of political violence and unrest in neighbouring Pakistan.EU's engagement with Pakistan depends on fair polls says Solana

The level of the European Union's engagement with Pakistan depends on the holding of free, fair and secure elections there next month, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Monday. "Our message is clear. It is that the elections have to be fair, free and secure, which is also very important," Solana said after lunch talks in Brussels with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. "Our reaction on cooperation and the level of engagement will be in view of the result of the process," he added. He did not give any details as to what that cooperation may entail.The EU is Pakistan’s largest foreign trading partner, with annual trade worth euro 6.25bn, and Mr Musharraf said he had raised the issue of easier access for Pakistan to EU markets. Later on his European trip, Mr Musharraf is due to meet Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, and Gordon Brown, the UK prime minister, as well as to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Labels: Elections, EU, Pakistan

Ultranationalist Tomislav Nikolic wins Serbian election

Preliminary results from Serbia's presidential elections indicate a victory for the ultranationalist Tomislav Nikolic. The partial results give Mr Nikolic 39.4 percent against 35.4 percent for the incumbent Boris Tadic. As neither candidate won a majority, a second round of voting will be held in two weeks time. The seven other candidates did not win enough votes to play a role in the election. A record number of Serbians cast their ballot in today's vote. Around 60 percent of the 6.7 million eligible voters went to the poll, the highest percentage since the 2000 democratic revolution. The vote is seen as crucial for the Balkan state's future. Both candidates oppose independence for Kosovo but Mr Nikolic favours closer ties with Russia and is opposed to NATO, the US and the European Union while Mr Tadic wants Serbia to join the EU.

Note EU-Digest: this spells big troubles for the stability in the Balkan region.

Labels: Elections, EU, Serbia

Tough questions await Musharraf in Europe

President Pervez Musharraf heads off on a four-country trip to Europe this weekend where he is expected to face tough questions over his rule while shoring up international support. Former foreign secretary Tanvir Ahmed Khan expected Musharraf to seek to impress on Europeans that Pakistan’s best hope of stability rested with him retaining power. “He’s trying to establish his credentials with key Western powers with the same old message: that he’s indispensable, they don’t have a better friend than him, without him the war on terror would unravel and Pakistan’s economic progress would collapse,” Khan said. Musharraf is due to hold talks with European Union and Belgian leaders in Brussels, meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris and then attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland before heading to London for talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Labels: Elections, EU, Musharraf, Pakistan